legallity and morallity

 

Have we ever thought after doing an act whether it was legally correct and morally correct as well? Now we can argue upon it saying there is not much difference between both. But I would like to defer here. Look at the two words closely, at times what is legally correct not necessarily be morally correct as well. Let me elaborate, a sales guy takes his family out for dinner and puts the voucher in the office claim: legally correct, as he may not be caught, but is he morally correct? 

In our lives if we see, we do so many acts thinking, who is going to know? “kis ko pata chalega ?” or rather one step further “main kisi ko bataunga hi nahi”. Very easy way to hide everything. But have you ever noticed that we get caught or get trapped some way or the other and what we were hiding or camouflaging comes out in open. Were these acts illegal, the answer is most of the times NO.  But if you u would get your ask whether they were immoral, probably your answer is YES.

When we think of hiding or defending something in our mind we also know that we are ethically wrong but the ego or the urge to do the act is so high that it lets us compromise on our morals. But if you u have look the otherway round; a morally correct act would be legal. Hence, chances are that we would have a clear conscious and a clean character if we try and follow these two important checks of life: legality and morality of the issue. 

If we are legally wrong we know the punishment or the price you have to pay, but the in case of morality it hits you at the wrong time and the wrong place and by wrong person. The price that we pay for our act can at times take us births to repay. Let me quote a story from Mahabharata about Bhishma…

Shri Bhishma Pitamah had vouched celibacy, but he wanted his younger brothers to get married. Hence he, went to a swayamvar and picked up 3 princesses of a king. He was not going to marry either of them; he just won them in the swayamvar for his brothers. Out of the three princesses, one of them was already in love with some other prince. On knowing this, Shri Bhishma set her free. She thanked him and went to her love. The prince whom she loved did not accept her saying, she was now Shri Bhishma’s wife. She again went to Shri Bhishma and asked him to marry her. He declined saying that he had already vouched celibacy and he took part in the swayamvar for his brothers. This princess was left without a husband and she could not go back to her parents as well. She wandered and wandered in the woods and died. She was so hurt that she vouched to kill Bhishma in her next birth. she actually did that. She took birth as Shikhandi and was instrumental in putting Shri Bhishma to the arrow bed.

Now let us look at the whole incident disassociatedly… whatever Shri Bhishma did was legally correct, as in once you win a swayamvar, you have the right to decide what to do with the princess. Technically you are the boss of that female. This is legally correct. But how morally correct is that situation where in; you vouch for celibacy, go to a swayamvar, pick up all the three princesses when you have only two brothers and then when the third one is asking you to marry her; you conveniently get out of the situation saying you have vouched celibacy.  Legally you can be correct but morally it is a crime. Shri Bhishma, inspite of being such a great person had to pay for it, so who are we.

Let us from today look within us and try and be morally correct as well. We never know what price we might have to pay for it. Let us remember this before cheating or hurting another soul. we owe explanations of our behavior to our near and dear ones as much as we owe to ourselves.

We might never be punished for and illegal act because it is fought in the human court; but the act of immorality is fought in the God’s court. Think about it…….